UPDATE OF STATE SENATE BILLS OF INTEREST 2017-2018 LEGISLATIVE TERM Pennsylvania Farm Bureau May and June 2017 (including legislative actions taken through July15) Bills introduced or moved by the legislature these months appear in red Bill Number & SB 9 Stefano Would require an applicant for state or local government benefits proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the United States in order to obtain approval of benefits applied for. Senate APPROPRIATIONS SB 12 Tartaglione Would amend the state Minimum Wage to increase the mandated minimum wage to $12.00 on July 2017; impose incremental annual increases of $1.00 in mandated minimum wage (to $15.00) through 2020; and require increases in mandated wages for subsequent years based on the average annual percentage change in urban cost of living for the PA-MD-DE-NJ region. LABOR & INDUSTRY SB 30 Eichelberger Would give the Fish and Boat Commission authority to increase by regulation fishing and boating license and permit fees. Any proposed increase in fee would be subject to a formal process for public review and comment, review and comment by House and Senate s, and potential disapproval by the General Assembly (subject to veto by the Governor). In the HOUSE GAME & FISHERIES SB 66 Greenleaf Would amend state income tax laws to allow for exclusion from taxable net profits of one-half of selfemployment taxes required to be paid under federal law. FINANCE 1
SB 69 Eichelberger Would amend the cruelty to animals law to, among other things, more clearly define torture in determining acts for which increased penalties would apply. NO OBJECTION Was part of the legislative package enacted under House Bill 1238 SB 135 Scavello Senate counterpart to House Bill 602, would amend the Game & Wildlife Code to allow for the use of leashed tracking dogs while attempting to locate and recover a deer, bear or elk legally wounded or killed. SUPPRORTS Senate ON THE HOUSE FLOOR CALENDAR SB 138 Yaw Would require that landowners subject to gas or oil leases annually receive information on joint ventures in place for gas or oil development on the landowner s property. Would also provide the opportunity for owners receiving royalties to inspect lessee records related to development and operation of wells on the owner s property. In the HOUSE ENERGY SB 139 Yaw Would prohibit lessors of a gas or oil lease from retaliating, through discriminatory stoppage or reduction in well production or otherwise, against a person entitled to royalties who brings in good faith a legal action against the lessor to challenge the legal adequacy of the royalties being paid or the legality of deductions from royalties being assessed. In the HOUSE ENERGY SB 192 Stefano Would give the Game Commission authority to increase fishing and boating license and permit fees by regulation. Any proposed increase in fee would be subject to a formal process for public review and comment, review and comment by House and Senate s, and potential disapproval by the General Assembly (subject to veto by the In the HOUSSE GAME & FISHERIES 2
Governor). SB 230 Boscola Would increase the grade of offense and corresponding criminal penalties for second or subsequent violations of the animal cruelty law committed upon a dog or cat. JUDICIARY SB 246 Leach Would prohibit and assess civil penalties for use of nontherapeutic antibiotics in animals for health or growth management. Would also require animal farm operations to file affidavits annually confirming that the operations have not administered antibiotics in violation of the prohibition in antibiotic use. Would also require that priority be given in use of appropriations for animal health or agricultural research to development of alternatives to use of antibiotics in animals. AGRICULTURE & RURAL AFFAIRS SB 333 Yaw Would increase the minimum level of total cost necessary for a public work project to be subject to requirement for payment of prevailing wages from $25,000 to $185,000. AND SEKKS FURTHER AMENDMENTS LABOR & INDUSTRY SB 335 Fontana Would allow landowners whose private water supply is suspected to be polluted or diminished by the drilling, operation or alteration of a gas or oil well to request DEP to conduct testing of the water supply and require DEP to provide the landowner a copy of written reports of testing conducted. AND SEEKS FURTHER AMENDMENTS ENERGY SB 371 Brooks Would exempt farm operations from regulation and permitting requirements in performance of activities to mitigate flood-related hazards. ENERGY 3
SB 404 Scavello Would amend current provisions governing eligibility of solar generation for renewable energy credit sales to utilities to limit eligibility of energy generation outside PA for credit sales. ENERGY SB 416 Rafferty Would establish by statute riparian buffer zones with a width of at least 100 feet and wider for special environmental conditions existing locally, would authorize and encourage municipalities to enact ordinances requiring establishment and restoration of riparian buffers within prescribed zones, and would give DEP authority to impose additional requirements in management of riparian buffers within such zones. ENERGY SB 453 Brewster Would repeal the current statutory prohibition of Sunday hunting, and would empower the Game Commission to authorize Sunday hunting by regulation. In the Senate GAME & FISHERIES SB 486 Vogel Would give the Public Utility Commission authority and duty to establish and enforce safety standards for construction, operation and maintenance of pipelines used to transmit natural gas from wells to the points of access to common gas transmission or distribution lines. CONSUMER PROTECTION & PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE SB 488 Baker Would give the Public Utility Commission authority and duty to establish and enforce safety standards for construction, operation and maintenance of pipelines used to transmit natural gas from wells to the points of access to common gas transmission or distribution lines. CONSUMER PROTECTION & PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE 4
SB 556 Greenleaf Would amend the state income tax law by allowing, in joint tax filings made by spouses, offsets of losses incurred by one spouse of gains made by another spouse within the same class of taxable income. FINANCE SB 586 Argall Would eliminate authority of school districts and municipalities to file appeals to challenge tax assessment values of individual real property tax parcels, except when the parcel has gone through a countywide reassessment, been divided into smaller parcels, or a change in the productive use of the property has occurred. Senate APPROPRIATIONS SB 594 Stefano Would exempt from state sales tax the purchase of protective equipment by a volunteer firefighter that will be used by the person in performance of emergency response activities by his or her fire company. Senate APPROPRIATIONS SB 632 Schwank Would require all grain dealers purchasing or brokering grain under deferred payment arrangements to obtain a bond equal to the dealer s highest monthly outstanding obligation owed to producers through purchases or brokerage arrangements or through holdings of grain under bailment; and would require issuance of grain receipts and tickets to producers that provide documentation of the amount of grain a dealer has received from producers. Producers would be also given authority to enforce their claims against the dealer bond in the event of default, and would be able to bring legal actions to compel compliance with requirements imposed under this legislation. AGRICULTURE & RURAL AFFAIRS 5
SB 745 Eichelberger Would give municipalities the option of meeting legal requirements for public notices by posting them electronically, instead of publishing them in newspapers. LOCAL GOVERNMENT SB 792 Alloway Would impose additional restrictions and requirements in the use and commercial application of lawn fertilizer on residential properties, including some potential uses of fertilizer on farms. AMENDMENTS NEEDED Senate ON THE SENATE FLOOR CALENDAR SB 799 Alloway Would establish by statute a process for administration of nutrient credit trading through competitive bidding, administered by the State Conservation Commission. ENERGY SB 823 Schwank Would amend the Clean and Green Act s provisions authorizing the use of clean and green land for rural enterprises with limited roll-back tax consequences to allow persons other than immediate family members under lease with the property owner to engage in a rural enterprise on clean and green land. AGRICULTURE & RURAL AFFAIRS 6